Monday, March 10, 2014

Avery has been going through a big Princess and the Frog phase, and there's a scene with delicious gumbo and Tabasco within the first 10-15 minutes of it. Since we rarely make it past the 20-minute mark before something happens to make us stop the movie (potty break, snack time, mailman comes, whatever), I've seen this scene probably at least once a day, every day, for the past two weeks.

1
tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil (NOT OLIVE OIL)1
pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise (I used Country Pleasin') into 1/2-inch
thick pieces4
pounds chicken thighs, skin removed (I just used 2 pounds boneless skinless thighs, then added a pound crawfish tails and a jar of crab when I put the browned chicken back in)1
tablespoon Essence or Creole seasoning (I just used Tony's)1 cup
all-purpose flour2 cups
chopped onions1 cup
chopped celery1 cup
chopped bell peppers1
teaspoon salt1/4
teaspoon cayenne3 bay
leaves9 cups
chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth (I just used 2 32-ounce boxes)1/2
cup chopped green onions2
tablespoons chopped parsley leaves1
tablespoon file powderWhite
RiceHot
sauceDirectionsIn a
large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the
vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well
browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on
paper towels. Set aside.Season
the chicken with the Essence and add in batches to the fat remaining in the
pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes.Remove the
chicken from the pan, let cool, and then refrigerate until ready to use.Combine
the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flour in the same Dutch oven over medium
heat. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark
brown roux, the color of chocolate.Add
the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5
minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves, stir, and
cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, and cook, stirring,
until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low
and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.Add the reserved chicken (and crawfish tails and crab) to the pot and simmer for
1 1/2 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.Remove the pot
from the heat. (If you did boneless skinless thighs, you can skip this part!)Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs from the gumbo
and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay
leaves. Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred, discarding the bones
and skin. Return the meat to the gumbo.Stir in the green onions, parsley, and file powder.Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large
cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Serve, passing hot sauce on the side.

A note about the oil: olive oil, though perhaps more healthy, has a lower smoke (burning) point than vegetable oil does. So when making a roux with it, you're much more apt to burn your roux than if you use vegetable or canola oil.

Also, when it comes to crab, be sure you pick up the real thing at the grocery store. I was distracted and picked up Krab with a K. Wasn't aware of it till I went to stir the pot and was greeted with a horror show of unraveled pollock in what looked like creepy crab noodles. I picked that out and called it a lesson in kitchen presence.